Twitch announces a program that allows DJs to share revenue with record labels

Live streaming platform Twitch announced a new program aimed at DJs today that will allow creators to use copyrighted music in their streams for a fee.

Twitch has signed deals with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music, as well as “hundreds” of independent labels, the company says. CEO Dan Clancy suggested in April that the company was working on building an official system for DJs.

To cover the cost of the rights, streamers will pay a percentage of their earnings from a stream to the rights holders. The percentage, which Twitch has not shared publicly, will vary slightly depending on the monetization methods used by streamers. They will share this cost with Twitch on a 50/50 split, although Twitch says it will initially cover “most of the cost.” Some DJs will have access to a one-year subsidy paid by the platform that covers the difference between their earnings and the money paid to record labels and artists. DJs who do not monetize on Twitch will not be required to pay fees.

“DJs often leverage and leverage pre-recorded music from other artists as a critical part of their creative expression,” the company wrote in a blog post. “However, when streaming pre-recorded music over the Internet, there are a variety of copyright issues that need to be considered and these vary between regions.”

Twitch notes that up until this point, DJs who stream on the platform have been responsible for handling any copyright issues that arise on their own. Some Twitch DJs have reported in recent years that they have been hit by an influx of DMCA takedowns on the platform. The company claims it was able to “mitigate” the risks associated with the removals while negotiations with record labels continued.

“It is crucial that DJs understand that the status quo on Twitch was not sustainable, and any viable future for the community required us to find a solution,” Twitch said in the blog.

The program will launch later this summer, along with a new DJ category for streamers. The licensing feature does not apply to other types of content, such as video on demand (previously streamed clips) and highlights, which are covered by a different set of rights than live streamed content.